Cooling - Water

Water-cooling is perfect for those looking to achieve the lowest temperatures and noise levels with overclocked components. Water-cooling loops involve combinations of water blocks, tubing, fittings, radiators, pumps, reservoirs and coolant, and since many of these come in a wide range of colours, it can also be used to create some seriously attractive and jealousy-inducing PCs and case mods. CPUs, GPUs, motherboards and even memory sticks can be water-cooled, but please be aware that the use of this equipment may void the warranty of your system or components.

These sizeable, double length radiators are designed to tame high-end, overclocked hardware, and require two 120mm or 140mm fan mounts. Thicker models can deal with more heat, but they require more space in your case. This category also includes 240mm and 280mm grilles that can be fitted to the radiators.

These radiators, and the separate grilles that can be fitted to them, are the biggest ones going. They're suitable for keeping your system cool in the face of huge overclocks, multiple high-end GPUs and more. Few cases can house these beasts, especially the thicker models. Depending on the size, you'll need three or more consecutive 120mm, 140mm or even 180mm fan mounts.

Acrylic tubing is non-flexible. As well as cutting, it requires manual bending, but the end result of straight lines and sharp angles is visually stunning and it's available with special finishes too. Pay attention to the internal and external diameters measure up so you know the length you need.

These blocks are designed to fit AMD's high-end single and dual-GPU graphics cards. Due to the complexity and variability of GPU PCBs, most are only compatible with reference designs or specific third-party models, so it's vital to check that your water block is compatible with your exact graphics card. Also take note of the thread size so you can connect your fittings and tubing properly. Finally, some blocks come with a backplate, while with others you can buy one separately, giving you the option to combine different colours and perfect your look.

These are the smooth-faced chunks of metal that actually make contact with your components in a water-cooled rig. They can be used with processors, graphics cards, hard disks and chipsets, and many are only compatible with specific motherboards or third-party graphics cards, so double-check before you buy.

The complexity and cost of custom water-cooling systems means it pays to keep an eye on them. The components in this category will allow you to track temperatures and flow rates and control fan speeds too. The 5.25in bay adaptors are useful for bringing these monitoring and control capabilities within easy reach at the front of you PC.

The coolants here are both aesthetically pleasing and highly functional. They are designed to prevent corrosion and the growth of algae, both of which would prove problematic and reduce your systems cooling ability. Pre-mixed solutions are available in a wide variety of colours, including UV reactive ones, and you can also purchase liquid, dyes and treatments separately to brew your own.

Most of the water blocks here can be strapped to almost any CPU, including Intel and AMD processors, but it's important to check the socket you're using is compatible. They vary in their materials and colours, so you can easily match them to your system's aesthetics.

These are the smooth-faced chunks of metal that actually make contact with your components in a water-cooled rig. They can be used with processors, graphics cards, hard disks and chipsets, and many are only compatible with specific motherboards or third-party graphics cards, so double-check before you buy.

These coolers allow anyone to water-cool their processor. They combine the pump, tubing, radiator and fans into a single, sealed unit that's simple to install and doesn't require maintenance or filling, and they're compatible with modern Intel and AMD sockets. They can cope with high-end, overclocked CPUs too, but larger models with more fans will have lower temperatures and noise levels. You need to make sure your case has the appropriate size and number fan mounts and enough space for the radiator and fans.